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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: safe · straw · temple · court · season · pitch · arm · saw

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pitch — completely
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. saw — the tool
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. season — of the year
  10. saw — the tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. court — for sport
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. court — of law
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. court — of a king
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. season — in sport
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com